Mechanism for wiring can-caps.



m. 634,112) Patented 1m.- 3, 1899. H. n. HULL.

MECHANISM FOR WIRING BAN GAPS.

- (Application filed Dec. 29, 1593. (No Model.) -4 Sheets-Sheet l,

. f f f J ar W @yflm 7 1n; npnma PETERS co. PHQTO-UTHCL. WASHINGTON. n.c,

No. 634,!!2. Patented Oct. 3; I899.

11. H. HULL.

MECHANISM FUR WIRING CAN GAPS.

(Application filed 1m. 29, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

IIIIIIIF IIHH No. e34,u2'. Pafanted Oct. 3, I899.

H. H. HULL. MECHANISM FOR-WIRING CAN CAPS.

(Applicsticn filed Dec. 29, 1898.) I

' 4 Shaata$haet 3.

(In llodai.)

m: norms PETERS my, PHD'TO-UTHQ.. wnsn'mc-mn n c No. 634,112. I PatentedOct. 3,1899.

H. H. HULL. MECHANISM FOR wmms cANcAPs;

(Application ma Dec. 29, less.

4 SheefsSheet 4 {N0 Modem THE humus PETERS ca, PHOI'D-UTHQ. was

.UNITED STATE'si HEBBEBTJI. HULL, or VQLEVVELAND, OHIO.

:MECHANIs FOR Meme 'CAN-GAPST' SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters retetive; 34,1 12, dated October 13, 1899.

d Application filedDecemher 2Q, 1898- Serial No. 700,578. (No modelf) To(all whont it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. HULL, a citizen of the United States,residing at-Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanism for WiringCan Caps and the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, andexactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of the invention is to secure a ripping-wire in the edge ofcan covers or caps or like articlesby rolling theedge of the flange ofsaid cap inward around the wireand to effect this result expeditiouslyand cheaply.

The invention is adapted for use with wellknown forms of pressescommonly employed 'for stamping sheet metal. 7

The invention. relates particularly to the wiring-die and to themechanism for properly feeding the wire thereto and'for cutting 01? theouter end of said wire; and it consists in the construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described, and definitely pointed outin the claims.

The drawings clearlydisclose my invention embodied in a completedie-press.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of such press.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 a sectional plan thereofjust above the die. These views are on the same scale. Fig. 4: is a sideelevation of the reversing mechanism of the wire feed shown in thepreceding fig-j.

ureson a smaller scale. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4:,looking in the direction of the arrow. Figs. 6 and '7 are sideelevations on a larger scale than Fig. 1 or 2 of the cams on the power-shaftfor operating the wire-feed and wire-cut-off mechanisms, respectively.Figs. Sand 9 are vertical central sections through the wiring-die andthe lower end of the plunger, the former figure showing the parts when.the plunger in its descent is just about to curl the canrcover aroundthe wire and the latter figure showing such operation just completed,the plunger being at the extreme lower end of its travel. Fig. 10 is ahorizontal section on the line 10 10 of Fig. 8, illustrating the mannerof cutting off andbeuding the wire, the final position of the wireat theend of the operation being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 11 is aperspective view of the inner portion of the cut-off form.

lever. These four figures are all onthe same of the wired can-cover, theprojecting end of the wire being bent back toward the cover, as shown.

Referring to the parts by letters, X represents the bed-plate of asuitable press, Y the vertical reciprocating plunger thereof, and Z ashaft by which the plunger is reciprocated. These parts, as shown, areof well-known The wiringdie is secured upon the bedplate under theplunger, which plunger carries a pressure-plate (J, by means of whichthe cap R is forced downward, with the resuits to be presentlydescribed.

The wiring-die includes an outer ring A, an expanding ringB, inside thering A, made up of several segment-shaped parts (3, the rod E, and asleeve D, of which said sleeve carries beveled surfaces which operate onthe ring-sections to expand and contract them operating the sleeve D. jI V The outer ring A may be secured to a suitable frame a by means-ofwhich it is secured upon the bed-plate. per end is of a size and shapewhich causes the flange r of the cap R to snugly fit it. A shortdistance below its top this ring has an internal circumferential rib, a,and on top of this rib there is an annular curling-groove a, which issubstantially semicircular in vertical section, the outer wall of thisgroove being a continuation of the inner wall of the rin a The expandingring R is made up of a plurality of sections b, which when the ring iscircular, as shown, are substantially quadrant-sectors. On the upper andlower outer edge of these'ring-sections are the two flanges 19 Z1 ofwhich the former passes over-and the latter passes under the rib a whenthe parts are assembled. In other words, the rib a lies betweentheseflanges and very close to both, whereby any substantial verticalmovement of the sections is prevented. Pins a project? ing radiallyinward from the rib a enter the corresponding holesin the outer edgesofthe ring-sections, wh ereby said sections are guided This ring A atits up-' and the rod E carries suitable shouldersfor in their movementstoward and from the center. The upper flange bshould be nearly as wideas the top of the rib Ct, wherefore when the ring B is expanded thedistance between the edges of said flzngesand the inner wall of the ringA shall be less than the diameter of the wire to be used. This preventsthe wire from passing up between the flange and the ring A. Theexpanding ring has a cen tral hole through it, and the lower edge 6 ofthis hole is beveled outward more or less. Surrounding this hole on thetop of the expanding ring is an annular groove b ,'the inner edge ofwhich is beveled up to the hole, thereby forming a substantially conicalThe sleeve D passes centrally through the expanding ring. Its body, asshown, is cylindrical,and must be so large that if the ringsections 12embraced it the ring B would be annular flange 62 in the under side ofWhich.

is an annular groove (1 whose outer wall d is tapered complimentarily tothe conical wedge b, with which it is intended to engage.

The rod E, upon whose upper end is an ejector-plate 6, passes looselythrough the sleeve D. Below the sleeve D is a collar 6, which is adaptedto engage with the lower end of'the sleeveD, A coiled spring J, whichsurrounds the rod E, thrusts endwise against the collar 6 or some othershoulder on the rod and against a fixed plate L, through which the rodpasses loosely, whereby the spring exercises a continuous force to movethe rod E upward. The extent of this upward movement is regulated by anadjustable stop-nut 6 below the plate L. I 7

hen the die mechanism above described is in its normal position, asshown in Fig. 8,

' the conical part d of the sleeve D has been forced up into theexpanding ring B far enough to expand it, wherefore the flange 1)extends partly over the curling-groove 0,. The wire is then fed bymechanism to be presently explained through an opening a in the ring Ainto the curling-groove abelow the fiange b, where said wiresubstantially encircles the die. The cap R, whose lower edge is to berolled around said wire, is shown in Fig. 8. It is made of thin sheetmetal and has a flange 'r, in whose loweredge a substantially verticalslot r is formed. This cap is placed flange downward upon theejectorplate e, the lower 'edge of said cap entering the ring A, thenotch 'r in said flange being placed directly above the part of the wirewhich is passing through the slot or in the said ring A. The plungerthen comes down,

is compelled to move vertically.

forcing the cap downward, whereby the lower edge of said cap, is by itsengagement with thegroove a caused to roll inward and around the wire,the flanges 72 on the expanding ringsection holding the wire down, sothat the edges of the cap will be rolled around it. The ejector-plate eand the rod E, which it is attached to, are likewise forced down, theejector-plate engaging with the sleeve D and forcing it down, wherebythe beveled surfaces d engage with the conical surfaces b on thering-segments, thereby drawing said segments inward and contracting thering B. When the plunger begins its upward movement, the spring J forcesthe rod E upward, and the first effect of this movement is to lift thewired'capabove the flanges b to the ringsegments. The nut c then engageswith the sleeve D and pushes it up, whereby the beveled shoulders d onthe sleeve engage the ring-segments and force them outward-that is tosay, expand the ring 13. The parts referred to have now completed thecycle of their movements and are in their normal positions again.

lhe mechanism for feeding the wire into the die and cutting it off willnow be described. The wire S passes between two grooved rollers H H, bywhich it is forced through a hole '6 in a guide-block I, thence througha horizontal notch g in the vertical arm 9 of the pivoted out-oft leverG, and finally through the slot a in the ring A into the die below theflange l) on the expanding ring. These rollers are secured to shafts hand h which are mounted in suitable bearings, and to these shafts aresecured the meshing pinions h, whereby the revolution of one roller isnecessarily.accompanied by a revolution of the other roller in thereverse direction. The lower shaft h is revolved through a pinion kloosely mounted thereon and clutched thereto at the proper times bymechanism to be presently explained. A rocking gear-segment F engageswith the pinion h This segment is caused to rock by a connecting-rod f,which engages at its ends with a crank-pin f on an arm f, secured to thegear-"segment, anda crank-arm 7s, secured to a shaft Kyon which thepinion 7c is secured. This pinion 7c is oscillated by avertically-movable ra'ck-bar P, which is moved in suitable guides 19 bya cam-groove m in the face of a disk M, secured to the shaft Z, and 'apin 19 on the rack-bar, which enters said groove. The upper end 'of therack-bar has a vertical slot 19 which embraces the shaft, whereby it Thecamgroove m is of such shapethat it quickly draws the rack-bar up duringabout one-fourth of its own revolution. During this movement of therack-bar the plunger iscoming down and is nearing the end of its stroke.The pinion 7L is at this time clutched to the shaft h. Thismovement oftherack-bar transmitted through the intermediate mechanism describedcauses the rotation of the feed-roller ICC in the feeding direction,whereby said wire is fed into the die as before explained. WVhen thewire has been pushed around the die, it will be in contact with the wallof the ring A- -that is to say, the diameter of the wire loop in the diewill be as great as possible. Just before the plunger, however, reachesits lower point the cam m suddenly reverses its curve and moves therack-bar down a short distance, which reverses the movement of thefeed-rollers, whereby they pull backward on the wire sufficiently todraw the wire into contact with the inner edge of the groove a.Previously to being so drawn in ward the wire offers an obstacle to thedownward movement of the lower end of the cap-flange '1', which obstacleis withdrawn by this movement of the wire. the cap-flange down betweenthe wire and theirin g A, and thereafter finishes its work of rollingthe edges of said flange, as before stated. At this instant the pinionh" is also unclutched from the shaft h, wherefore as the rack-barcontinues its downward stroke under the influence of the cam m thefeed-rolls ers remain-idle. When the rack-bar begins its upwardmovement, as before explained, this pinion 7& is automatically clutchedto the shaft h, and the described operation is repeated.

The wire-cut-off lever G has a vertical part g, which is pivoted on avertical axis to the ring A, a part of which has been cut away toaccommodate this cut-off. In the outer face of this vertical part of thecutoff device is a horizontal notch g, into which the wire S, pushedthrough the wire-guide, enters and is guided against vertical movementas it en-. ters the notch aiinthe ring A. This cut-off device has also ahorizontal arm G, to which aconnecting-rod g is pivoted, the other endof this connecting-rodbeing connected by a universal joint with an armg, which is fast on the shaft Q, to which the pinion g is secured. V Avertically-movable rack-bar T engages with this pinion q and itsvertical movement in suitable guides is produced by a cam-groove n inthe face of the disk N, se-

cured to the shaft Z, and apinton therackbar entering this groove. Thisrack-bar is slotted at its upper end and embraces the shaft Z. Just asthe downward movement of the plunger is being completed this cam-jgroove suddenly reverses its curvature, as at n, and draws the rack-barupward, which results through the intermediate mechanism'in swinging thecut off device around, so that the wire is sheared off between thecut-off of this return movement, wherefore the cap B may bcremoved, asdescribed.

At this instant the plunger forces I will now describe the mechanism forclutching and unclutching thepinion 7L2 and the shaft h. This pinion,which'is loosely mounted on the shaft h, is secured to a disk In. Tworatchet-wheels U W, whose teeth face in opposite directions, are rigidlyfaswhich is loosely mounted upon the shaft. A

spring-pawl a, pivoted to the disk k engages with the ratchet U, wherebythe pawl when moved in one direction causes the ratchet to move, andconsequently causes the shaft h to move. When this pinion h is revolvedin the reverse directi'on, this pawl slips over the teeth of the ratchetU. Another pawl to is pivoted to the same disk h, or rather to anextension-plate h secured to said disk, and it engages with the otherratchet W under certain circumstances. In this-pawl is an inclined slotto, which receivesapin o, secured or made fast to the other disk V.'Around the sleeve 1*, of which this last-named disk is a part, is afriction-brake O, which is itself immovable, being attached to thebed-plate X and which embraces the sleeve with sufficient force toretard its movement. When the pinion 77, has its direction of motionsud-.

denly reversed after the wire has been fed into the die, the pawl w isin engagement with the ratchet, and consequently the ratchet isrevolved, and so, also, are the shaft and feedrollers, but in thedirection reverse to the feeding direction. When the pinion thusreverses its direction of movement, the frictionbrake O retards themovement of the sleeve c, wherefore the disk h which carries the pawl10, rotates, while the disk V, which carries the pin o, does not rotate.The inclined slot to in the pawl 10 coacts with the pin, causing thepawl to be drawn outward and to become disengaged from the ratchet,where: fore the rotation of the shaft h ceases. Then the end ofthe'slot. w: engages with the pin '0', and this causes thisfriction-helddisk to rotate with it. When the pinion b reverses its movement, thepawl 10 rotates with the disk U, but the sleeve 4) is again held by thebrakeuntil the other end of the slot in the pawlengages with, the pin,after which said sleeve *1; rotates with the pawl. The pin o in passingfrom one end of the slot to to the other forces the pawl inward intoengagement with the ratchet, where it is ready to repeat the operationbefore explained. Having described'my invention, I claim- 1. Thecombination with a plunger of a die composed of a pair of codperatin grings which have on their proximate faces an annularrib on one ring anda flange on the other, one of ICO said rings havingindependently-movable sections whereby it is adapted to approach orrecede from the other ring, ,a sleeve movable, axially in relation tosuch expanding ring and carrying inclined surfaces adapted to operate 7upon the ring-sections and move them out or in as it moves in onedirection or the other,

a rod independently movable through said sleeve, a shoulder on said rodadapted to limit the independent movement of the rod through the sleeveand cause the sleeve to move with it, a plate moving with said rod andadapted to support'an article similar to a can-cover in position to beacted upon by said die, and means for causing said plate to move saidarticle away from said die, substantially as and for thepurposespecified.

2. The combination of an outer ring having an internal annular rib whichhas a curlinggroove in its side, and an expanding ring within the outerring, and made up of independently-movable sections, each having aflange adapted to extend over said rib, with a sleeve movable axiallythrough said expanding ring carrying inclined surfaces adapted to engagewith the ring-sectionsto move them out or in as it moves in onedirection or the other through said expanding ring, a rod movablethrough the sleeve, an ejector-plate on the end ofv the rod and ashoulder on said rod on the other side of said sleeve, and a springadapted to move the rod in one direction, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

3. The combination of an outer ring A having an internal rib a in whicha curlinggroove ct is formed, an inner ring Within this outer ring, saidinner ring being expandible by means of movable sections, each sectionhaving, first, a flange adapted to extend over said rib and hold a wirein the curling-groove, and, second, a conical surface on its upper side,with a sleeve which passes axially through said expanding ring and hasbeveled surfaces for engaging with the ring-sections to move themout-ward and inward, a longitudinally-movable rod passing through saidsleeve, an ejector-plate on the end of said rod, and a shoulder on therod on the other side of said sleeve, and a reciprocating plunger abovesaid ejector-plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. The combination of the ring A having the internal annular rib a witha curling-groove a inits upper side and an expanding ring made up ofindependently-movable sections, each of which has, first, an externalflange adapted to extend over the rib a and to hold awire in saidgroove, and, second, the beveled surface N, with the sleeve 'D whichpasses axially through the expanding ring and has, first, a beveledshoulder d, second, a reduced neck cl, and, third, a flange d with thebeveled surface 61 on its under side, a rod E movable through saidsleeve, having an ejector-plate on its end above the sleeve and ashoulder below the sleeve, and a spring for moving said rod upward, anda movable plunger, substantially as and for'the purpose specified.

5. The combination of a fixed ring having an internal annular rib whichhas a curlinggroove in its upper side, an expanding ring made up ofindependently-movable sections each having a flange adapted to extendover said rib, and means for preventing longitudinal movement of saidring-sections, with a sleeve movable axially through said expanding ringand carrying inclined surfaces for moving the ring-sections out or in asit moves in one direction or the other, a rod movable through thesleeve, an ejector-plate on the end of said rod, a shoulder on said rodbelow said sleeve, a spring for moving the rod in one direction, and apress-plunger for moving it in the opposite direction, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of a ring having an illternal annular rib with acurling-groove in its upper side, an expanding ring made up ofindependent sections each having aflange adapted to extend over saidrib, radial guidepins secured to and radial holes formed in the outerring and the cooperating ring-sections whereby said sections are causedto move in radial directions, with a sleeve movable axially through saidexpanding ring carrying inclined surfaces for moving the ringsectionsoutor in as it moves in one direction or the other, a rod movablethrough the sleeve, an ejector-plate on the end of said rod, a shoulderon said rod on the other side of said sleeve, a spring for moving therod in one direction, and a reciprocating plunger for moving it in theopposite direction, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of a ring A, secured upon the bed-plate of the pressbeneath the plunger thereof, and having the internal annular rib with acurling-groove in its upper side, and an expanding ring composed ofindependent sections each having, first, two

external flanges adapted to project above and below said rib, and,second, the conical surface I), the sleeve Dhaving, first, a reducedneck, second, beveled shoulders, and,

third, an end flange with an inclined surface on its under side, arodmovable through said sleeve, an ejector-plate secured thereto above thesleeve, a shoulder on the rod below the sleeve, a spring for moving therod upward, and a reciprocating press-plunger for moving it downward,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

S. The combination of a wiring-die which includes an outer ring havingan internal annular rib with a curling-groove on its side, said ringhaving an opening through it entering said groove, an expanding ringhaving separable sect-ions each of which has an external annular flangeadapted to extend over the said curling-groove, means for expanding andcontracting said ring, with wire-feeding mechanism adapted to feed awire into said groove and mechanism for cutting ofif the wire andbending its end outward, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination of a wiring-die, which includes an outer ring havingan internal annular rib with a curling-groove on its side,

IIO

said ring having an opening through one side, and an expanding ring madeup of sepa-- and mechanism for expanding and contract-j ing said ring,with wire-feeding mechanism, a wire-guide, and a cut-off device pivotedon a vertical pivot and having a horizontal notch through which the wirepasses in going from said wire-guide to said opening, and means foroscillating said cut-off on its axis,whereby it cuts off the wire andbends its end outward,

substantially as and for the purpose specified,

10. The combination of the cooperating parts of a die adapted to curlthe edge of an article similar to a can-cover around a wire, andmechanism for pushing such wire into one of such die parts and thenpullingit back slightly to draw it out of the way of the edge to becurled, and mechanism for cuttingotf the wire, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

11. The combination of a ring Ahaving the internal annular rib awithacurling-groove a in its upper side, an expanding ring made up ofsections each of which has an external flange which extends over saidrib whereby to hold awire in said groove, and mechanism for expandingand contracting said ring, with wire-feeding mechanism which pushes awire through an opening in the ring A into said curlinggroove, andaround said ring and then pulls back upon said wire to tighten it insaid groove, and a plunger for forcing a cap down in said ring A wherebyits edge is curled around said wire, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

12; The combination, with an outer part of a die having an internalannular rib with a curling-groove .on its side, an opening from theoutside of the die to said groove, an internal expanding ring havingseparable sections which have external flanges cooperating with'saidcurling-groove, mechanism for holding said inner ring in itsexpandedposition, mechanism for then pushing a wire into said curling-groove andaround the same and for then drawing back on said wire slightly,mechanism for forcing an article similar to a can-cover into said dieand causing its edge to curl around said wire, mechanism for cutting ofisaid wire, and mechanismfor contraeting said inner ring to release thearticle wired, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

l3. Ina cap-wiring apparatus, the combination of a wiring-die having anexternal ring A with an. opening through its wall, wirefeeding rolls,anda wire-guide, with a cut-01f device pivoted on a vertical axisbetween the end of the wire-guide and the opening in the ring, saidcut-off device having a horizontal slot through which the wire passesfrom the guide to the slot, and means for turning said cut-off on itsaxis to cut off the wire and bend,

it outward, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

14. In a cap-wiring apparatus, the combination of a wiring-die having anexternal ring A with an opening through its wall, wireing ahorizontalarin, a cam, a rack-bar mov-- able thereby, a pinion engagedby said rackbar, acrank-arm rigidly connected with said pinion, andconnections between said cut-oft arm and crank-arm, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

15. The combination of an outer ring having an internal annular ribwhich has a curling-groove in its side an expanding inner ring havingindependently-movable sections which haveflanges adapted to extendabove. said rib and flanges adapted to extend below said rib and therebyprevent longitudinal movement of the ring-sections, and radialguide-pins and cooperating radial holes carried by the outer, ring andthe movable ringsections whereby said sections are allowed to move inradial directions, and means for expandin g said inner ring,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

16. A die for curling the edge of a metalli article similar to acan-cover around a wire,

be curled, and mechanism for holding said expanding ringin its expandedposition while the article is being curled, and for thereaftercontracting it, and mechanism for forcing said article into the die tocurl its edge around the wire, substantially'as and for the purposespecified.

17. A die for curling the edge of a metallic article similar to acan-cover inwardly around a wire, which consists of an outer memberhaving an internal curling-groove and an inner expanding member having aflange adapted to extend over said groove, combined with mechanismforpushing a'wire around the curling-groove, mechanism for cutting oifsaid wire some distance from the article in the die'and for turning thisprojecting end outward, mechanism for holding the expanding member inits expanded position while the article is being curled, and forthereafter contracting it to release said wired article, and mechanismfor forcing said article into the die to curl its edge inward around thewire, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

'18. The cooperating parts of a die adapted to curl the edge of anarticle similar to a cancover around a wire, one of said die partsadapted to carry a wire tending to lie in the path of the edge of thearticle to be wired as the two are brought toward each other, com-'bincd with mechanism for moving such wire -out of the Way of said edgeto be curled, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

19. The combination of the cooperating parts of a die adapted to curlthe edge of an article similar to a can-cover around a wire,

and mechanism for shoving such wire into one of the die parts, andmechanism causing such wire to be pulled slightly backward after it isin the die to move it out of the way of lo

